Sunday, December 25, 2005

Christmas Prayer 2005

I must say that I do not believe in religious organizations. I do love tradition and all things that make up who we are but after several experiences with people and organizations I no longer wish to have anything to do with the business of religion. Every year I write a Christmas Prayer. It helps me to define the things that are important to me and how I want to live my life. I never expect someone else or some higher power to intervene but it sets some guidelines that I can follow every day to make sure that I can still look myself in the mirror.

With this premise every year I prepare a Christmas prayer, not for others but for me. I thought it might be appropriate to share this years thoughts.

May I always remember that everything I do, or fail to do, has consequences;May I think and reason as an individual even when, as part of the masses, it is easier to act like everyone else;May I not be as stupid as the marketing organizations think I am;May I define the value of my fellow beings for their accomplishments with the talents they have received and not by their position in life or their possessions;May I always remember there is someone, smarter, richer, better looking, funnier, or more compassionate than I am;May I always be thankful for what I have and remember that there are others who dream of having a life like mine;May I remember every minute of every day that I am the most fortunate man on the face of the earth because I have a woman who loves me for who I am;May I remember that empathy does not mean to patronize but to feel and understand the how and why things are the way they are.May I remember that it is not the number of times you fall that counts but how many times you get up;May I always be able to look myself in the mirror before I retire each night and know that I have done all I could with the gifts I have received.

Hello! Thanks so much for your holdiay wishes as well as the blogger encouragement. I wanted to tell you that I read your prayer and absolutely loved it. I am not a religious person but do consider myself to have a spiritual aspect. You said alot of things that I think and others that I wish I had thought. Do you mind if I share it with a few friends?